Heart Torn Between Dread and Longing: Wang Fuk Residents Seek to Retrieve Lost Pieces of Home

Today (April 30) marks the second day of the third batch of Wang Fuk residents, residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House, to return upstairs and retrieve their belongings.

The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Tsang, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Tsang, a resident of Wang Tai House, said he returned to his unit to collect valuables and sentimental items, including gold jewelry, his children's kindergarten graduation photos, and wedding photos. Although he hadn't received the photos of his unit's current condition, based on his preliminary understanding, his unit did not appear to be severely damaged.

Mr. Lo, Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Lo, a resident of Wang Kin House, said his top priority upon going upstairs was to retrieve valuables such as gold jewelry, cash, and photos. He had received relevant notifications and believed his unit remained undamaged for now. He admitted he felt "very anxious yet eager to go up and take a look."

The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post

The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post

The residents of Wang Tai House and Wang Kin House continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings today. Photo by Bastille Post

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Chu and her family had lived in Wang Tai House for over 30 years. Their unit was severely damaged in the fire, and all their belongings,  including approximately HKD$100,000 in cash stored in a safe, were reduced to ashes. "After 30 minutes of going through our things, we realized there was nothing left to salvage," she said.

Ms. Chu, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Chu, along with her husband and daughter, returned home to retrieve whatever remained. While she and her husband managed to hold back their tears, their 27-year-old daughter, who had lived in the unit since birth, was devastated. She broke down and cried for nearly half an hour. Only after she had calmed down did the three of them head back downstairs.

Before leaving their former home, they took photos in every corner of the charred unit as a final farewell. They also posed together for a family portrait to preserve the memory.

Wang Tai House was severely damaged in the fire. Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Chu added that since her father had passed away in the Chinese Mainland before, she and her husband made three trips to the Mainland to bring back the approximately HKD$100,000 cash he had left her, which they then placed in a safe at home. Before they could deposit the money in a bank, the fire struck.

The burned cash shown by Ms. Chu, Photo by Bastille Post

But luckily, she retrieved a few photo albums. "There were originally more than ten at my home, but now I've only found three or four."

The burned bathroom of Ms. Chu's unit, Photo by Bastille Post

As for the future, Ms. Chu said that since everything had been burned to ashes, she didn't have any plans at the moment. She mentioned that she would wait and see what the government arranges in the coming days. She also expressed hope that a residents' meeting would be held so that affected families could understand the follow-up arrangements.

Wang Fuk residents continued to go upstairs to retrieve their belongings. Photo by Bastille Post

According to police at the scene, a total of 58 households from Wang Kin House and Wang Tai House registered to go upstairs this morning to retrieve their belongings.